


Plenty of Time

by punkdentist



Series: heading towards something undefinable (good luck) [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Living Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 11:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3808726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkdentist/pseuds/punkdentist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Akela Amador stumbles upon an old colleague from her days with S.H.I.E.L.D. out on her morning jogging routine, she can't just run away. She doesn't have much to offer, but her couch is free, her shower is hot, and there's usually food in the fridge. Kara Lynn Palamas accepts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plenty of Time

Akela runs. The morning air is cold, and she breathes it all in. A lone woman sits on a bench. She speeds past her. The ground crunches beneath her feet, her heart thumps in her chest. The park is nearly empty this early, save for a few dog walkers and joggers. She nods at them as she passes, completing yet another lap. The sounds of the city blur into nothingness when she runs. Birds, cars, chatter, she's above it all. Akela puts one foot ahead of the other and smiles.

There she is again, that woman. She has a familiar quality about her that Akela can't quite place. She catches a glimpse of her face, half-hidden beneath waves of black hair, a sharp chin and clever eyes. Akela runs forward, tries to let the woman fade into the background like all the other impressions, but it doesn't work. Something about her keeps nagging. Akela spools through her mental catalogue of faces looking for a memory, a name, anything. It's takes time, more time than it would in the past, but she no longer needs to categorize everyone. Pictures of S.H.I.E.L.D. and missions float through her brain, she remembers the woman now. She runs. She doesn't need to do anything. She's not responsible. The woman is still there though, and Akela can't help but look closer, can't help but notice the dark hoodie and worn jeans, how the backpack next to her looks like everything she owns. Akela keeps moving. There's always another lap.

_If she's still there next time ..._ Akela doesn't finish that thought, just speeds up into a sprint. She narrowly avoids getting tangled into a web of leashes. The dog walker smiles at her, muttering apologies while herding her dogs onward. Akela barely notices, her mind travels at the speed of light, thoughts about that woman forming and being dismissed just as fast. She reaches the bend, the bench is once again clear in her line of sight, sitting there still is the woman. Akela slows down. If she is doing this, she is doing it right.

"Kara?" Akela says, name popping into her brain.

The woman, Kara, nods and narrows her eyes. Her hand shoots out, fingers closing around her backpack. Akela sits down next to her, tries to remember everything about non-threatening body language, open palms and slow movements. She wipes a hand over her forehead, winces at the sweat. Akela takes a deep breath. She needs to pick her word, be smart about this.

"I'm Akela Amador. Remember me?" Akela says. She doesn't bother extending a hand. It would only get rejected.

"You were shield, right?"

Akela nods. _Step 1 complete, but how to proceed?_ She looks up. The sky is grey and cloudy, no help from there. The silence stretches on.

"You running from something?" She finally asks. Kara's shrug is an answer in itself.

"You're not staying then, I guess. It's not a bad city though." Akela continues. "Plenty of opportunities. Big enough to disappear in. Small enough not to be on any maps. The people are alright too. There's a great Indian place right down the corner of where I live. I could show you, if you want?"

\-------

Somehow she manages to convince Kara to stay. It's a quiet wonder how she sits in the tiny kitchen, eating leftovers for breakfast. Akela smiles. Her head buzzes with question, but they can wait. Plenty of time for that later. She takes a sip of water instead. They finish the meal in silence. Akela cleans up by throwing out the takeout boxes. She has been eating out of those more often than she cares to admit, but dish-washing is tedious. Kara sits on her chair, staring into the air and not moving a muscle. She looks more than a little sceptical.  _Eh, they'll work things out,_ Akela thinks.  _Eventually._ _  
_

Kara follows her into the living room. She watches from the sideline as Akela dives deep into her closet to dig up an extra blanket and pillow. She folds them into neat unnecessary squares and places them on the couch before dumping her body in the cushions. She pats the seat next to her and gestures at Kara. She doesn't move, choosing to stay standing against the wall. Akela shrugs and fetches her cellphone from her pocket. She checks the weather forecast, skims a couple of news stories before giving in and opening her new favourite app. Akela puzzles her way through 3 levels of colourful fun. A carhorn blares blocks away. The city is waking up. Kara stretches and yawns.

"I gotta head out. Work, you know. Feel free to do whatever while I'm gone." Akela says, fetching her bag and keys. She glances down to check if her outfit is presentable and heads out the door. Hopefully Kara is still there when she gets back. Time will tell.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So ... this is the start of something hopefully?


End file.
